The Trailer!

Today has been great as long as I keep ignoring what's going on in our world. This morning I called my sweet, older brother, Ronnie aka Little Foot to see if he and Nita had finished watching Bandits, on Netflix. This fun, highly underrated movie stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton and Kate Blanchett.

A few days ago when I was talking to Ronnie on the phone I had told him how fun Bandits was to watch. He told me that he had watched half of it, but wasn't that crazy about it. Anyway, before he and I adios-ed each other he had promised me that he would make himself finish watching Bandits.

Anyway, when I called Ronnie & Nita this morning he told me that he had finished watching Bandits, but he didn't understand why I thought it was so great. "Nance, I kept waiting for the funny parts, the twists and turns and the credits....I'm sorry, but I didn't think it was all that great...."

I was confused and didn't understand why they didn't like it as much as I did, so I asked, "Y'all watched Bandits?" Then I slowly spelled it out, "B-a-n-d-i-t-s."

And Ronnie started laughing, and then he said, "Nance, I misunderstood you the other day. I thought you said Badland, on Netflix..." Then we both started laughing about him forcing himself to finish watching Badland instead of Bandits.

Anyway, after he understood it was Bandits he promised me that he would watch it. And after we got off of the phone I sent him the trailer for Bandits just to make sure. Then I also e-mailed the trailer to my sweet sister Cindy, just in case she didn't hear me correctly, too.

Y'all have a great afternoon. Watch Bandits and keep on laughing!

Between A Rock & A Hard Place! or Not-To-Push-It!

Before I tell you about my day, I want to tell you something about yesterday. My dear friend Gerry Olert sent me a picture of him wearing his survivor mask and I totally loved it, especially because he was wearing one our old Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch caps.

And that got to me thinking about a mask for myself, because the protective masks that we have are way too big for me. In fact, the other day when I wore it into a grocery store it kept sliding up on my face, fogging up my glasses and rubbing against my eyes. Even with the metal ^ pinched above my nose.

Then I got distracted when I sent my friend an e-mail asking him if it would be okay for me to drop off some paperwork at this home. "K" shot me back an e-mail suggesting I leave it on the bench, on their porch "....Yes, just find a rock to sit on top of it, so they don't blow away...."

So, I jokingly shot him back an e-mail "....I'll just bring one of my rocks to use..." Then I went outside and looked around for the perfect rock paperweight and I found this one. And before Tony and I took off to drop off the papers I grabbed a Sharpie pen and wrote on the rock. This is the rock that I left on the bench with my papers. Or better said, "between a rock and a hard place."

When K found it later on, he thought it was funny and by the time we got back home he had sent me a hilarious e-mail. Bottom    Line: I am going to bring him a brick and a cedar branch in trade for getting to touch a gigantic pine cone that he found underneath the world's largest tree in the world. 

I like bartering and K obviously does, too. So I am now looking forward to some future, funny transactions. And the best thing about it there isn't any sales tax.

Today has been great with the exception of what is going on in our crazy world. This morning I walked for over an hour outside and it was such a beautiful morning when I got back home I wanted to do some mowing, but because my back is finally back to normal—I decided not-to-push-it and just let my back rest a little bit longer.

So instead of mowing and working outside, after lunch, I decided to make a protective mask for myself, because my sweet sister had told me about her friends making her masks and told me that their were YouTube videos on how to make masks.

After I watched a couple of YouTube videos about how to make masks I decided to skip those diy projects and make up my own design. Then I went and grabbed a favorite bandana and my sewing machine.

Then I ironed my bandana and folded it into a triangle and tied it to my head—like a scarf. Then I went outside with a piece of paper and Sharpie to find Tony. 

Tone laughed when he saw me wearing a head scarf and then after I explained to him that I needed for him to mark lines on the paper that I held over my nose and mouth ,and also mark the scarf—he reluctantly did it and suggested that I just wear the giant masks that we already have. Then he teased me, "Nance, you know people will think you are crazy wearing a scarf-mask...." 

He was still advising me, as I walked off, but I could not hear him, because I was wearing my scarf that was covering my ears.

Thirty minutes later I had finished sewing my first scarf-mask and it fit perfectly and it was so much more comfortable than our surgical grade masks that had to have been custom made for Big Foot to wear.

Before I show you my awesome mask I do want to thank my friends Kris & The Mineral Man for sending me an e-mail with a picture of my book—to let me know that my paperback book had arrived at their house this morning.

I think there needs to be a drum roll here as you scroll down leading up to me posing in my pretty, custom made mask. And please note that my mask has four layers of cotton fabric, with an opening at the top, so I can slip coffee filters inside it for a little extra protection.  Okay, here goes! (Drum Roll!)

Y'all have a great evening, stay safe & healthy and keep on laughing!

6:10 Update: Just use bandana and velcro! Here is a pattern on how to make this easy to make mask:

Normal!

Last week my back went out, but the good news is it is finally almost back to normal. A week ago after my back went out I tried being creative with ways to help pass the time while being attached to a heating pad.

 I've spent my time having daily, heated conversations with my beautiful family and friends and doing jigsaw puzzles on my iPad.

FYI: My sweet sister Cindy is the one who suggested that I try doing the puzzles while listening to my favorite music and it has kept me sane. Or at least normal, during these stressful times.

So I am now addicted to doing these great jigsaw puzzles, but I must admit that when I first started doing them I started out as a beginner—using only 12 -24 pieces, which is the suggested level for ages 4 - 6. And not to brag, but to brag, they were uncomplicated and very easy.

🧩 🧩 🧩

And I know you must be thinking "how sad." But please don't worry about me for being so dumb, because I am now doing 45-75 piece jigsaw puzzles. And just so y'all will know my favorite puzzles are the dog and animal puzzles. And 45-75 pieces is considered normal for ages 7-10. And yes, I am bragging, again.

And once again, I know you must be thinking "how sad." But not to worry, because today I plan to jump up to the next higher age level. So please wish me luck with that.

But I do have one suggestion for these fabulous jigsaw puzzle-makers. I wish they would include the level suggested for senior citizens, because I am 68. But then again I am not sure this is such a great idea, because they might put me into the 12 -24 piece range bracket, again. And then use fireworks to go off after completing a simple puzzle. So that could cause some embarrassment if you're not thick skinned.

With my back on the mend, I have started taking long, one hour walks, because years ago I read that walking is the best thing to correct back problems. And I know it works, because whenever my back has gone out in the past—walking is always the best medicine. And so are a couple of glasses of cheap, red, boxed-wine every night.

Please note that during this time I've also cooked, read several great books by Robyn Carr and I have worked on promoting my latest book The Cowgirl Sisterhood: The Terlingua Treasure Map. And my latest accomplishment was having to create my Author Central page, on Amazon, which is basically a bio about me to help readers find out who I am.

And trust me, creating this page was much harder to write than any jigsaw puzzle I've completed so far. But I do wish that fireworks had gone off after having posting it. And you can check it out here.

Well, it is now time for me to get back to heating my back to wellness and delving into some more jigsaw puzzle solving.

Stay safe and healthy and keep on laughing!

The Terlingua Treasure Map!

Today has been great even though it rained this afternoon, so once again that cancelled my planned PSA (Parker-Simons Announcement) podcast outside. But that is okay. Forget about the podcast that I had planned to do sitting at the picnic table, in front of my recently painted mural. And of course, wearing my alien-attracting helmet.

I will just tell y'all my exciting breaking news instead even though I am not wearing my helmet right now.

BREAKING NEWS!...BREAKING NEWS!...BREAKING NEWS!...BREAKING NEWS!

My exciting news is my long awaited book The Cowgirl Sisterhood: The Terlingua Treasure Map has been published at last. And it is now available on Amazon as an e-book or as a book!

I am on Cloud 9 about this and I do hope that y'all will wish me luck and check it out. (Just click on the title below.)

The Cowgirl Sisterhood: The Terlingua Treasure Map

So now that the book is out there, so to speak, I plan to use my free time to start working on podcasting and that should keep me preoccupied for many days to come.

Before I finish writing this post  tonight I do want to share what my dear friend Mari sent to me this morning. It is definitely worth thinking about, since we have all of this free time on our "hands." 💁

Y'all have a great evening and stay safe and healthy and keep on laughing!

It's Still Raining Here! or The Great Depression!

It is still raining here, so I am still waiting to do my PSA (Parker-Simons Announcement). Earlier today I was talking to my sweet sister Cindy and we were talking about the pandemic and other difficult, hard times in U.S history.

Anyway, we were naming off World War I, World War II, Vietnam, etc. But after she said,  "And the Great Depression and—" I started to laugh, but not because that was funny.

I interrupted her, and said, "Heck we're going through The Great Depression right now too, because I'm depressed, you're depressed and everybody that I've talked to is depressed, too." And before my sister and I adios-ed each other she told me that she wanted to send me three pictures to look at to make me laugh. And these are what she sent: (And I am still laughing.)

Then Ronnie, my brother called and told me to look at my e-mail. And this is what he sent:

Y'all stay safe and healthy and keep laughing!

Rain, Thunderstorms, Etc.—Maybe Tomorrow My (PSA) Announcement!

Stay Tuned!

Within the next few days, weather permitting I will be doing my first PSA (Parker-Simons Announcement) podcast. I want to do it outside, so if the weather cooperates I will do it tomorrow or on the first non-rainy day. So please stay tuned in to my blog to hear my latest news.

Stay safe and healthy!